‘Scenic City Roots’ to debut March 7 at Track 29

Scenic City Roots

“Scenic City Roots, Live from Track 29,” a new live monthly music program will debut on Thursday, March 7, at Track 29 and feature local, regional and even national acts in a showcase to be filmed and broadcast on TV and streamed live on the program’s website.

“The ultimate goal is to unite the state’s musical trail, from Nashville to Memphis, Bristol to Chattanooga,” said Michael Jezewski, associate producer of Scenic City Roots. “Chattanooga has never really had a strong musical identity, so we hope this will help bring the city and region into the spotlight.”

Bringing Chattanooga out of the shadows of Nashville and Memphis is a tall order, but Jezewski is working with Todd Mayo and John Walker of Heng Dai Media, producers of Music City Roots in Nashville, to boost the city’s vibrant, yet still nascent musical scene to a large-scale statewide and national stage.

Each installment will feature a Chattanooga band along with other regional acts to “export and import authentic music,” Jezewski said, whether its rock, jazz, country or blues. The inaugural live show will feature Chattanooga’s own WTM Blues Band, the edgy bluegrass of The Steel Drivers, JOHNNYSWIM, an acoustic folk-pop duo, and St. Paul and the Broken Bones, the Birmingham-based rock and soul group who stole the show at The Pulse’s 10th Anniversary Concert at Rhythm & Brews in December.

The shows will take place live each month at Track 29, stream live on sceniccityroots.com and be taped for broadcast on local public television station WTCI-TV each Thursday in April.

“Each show operates independently,” Jezewski said of the ties to Music City Roots, the popular Nashville program which is produced live at the Loveless Cafe and Bar. “The timing is just perfect with all the development and the desire for more live music in Chattanooga, and Track 29 is the perfect venue.”

“We are very excited to team up with Heng Dai Media to present ‘Scenic City Roots, Live from Track 29,’” said Monica Kinsey of Track 29. “It’s an incredible opportunity, not only for Track 29, but also to showcase Chattanooga and its talented local musicians to the world.”

Tickets to the March 7 show are $10 ($5 for students with ID) and available online at track29.co.